Wrought-metal article



Patent d lVlay 31, 1927.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. BASSETT, JR, OF SONIA, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN 'BBASS COMPANY, OF WATEBJ ZURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTI- cur. v

WBOUGHT-METAL ARTICLE.

No Drawing.

My invention relatesto an improvement in wrought metal articles and consists of a wrought metal article composed of a eupreous alloy hereinafter described containing" tin and aluminum within certain ranges. have discovered that this alloy has good electrical conductivity, very high strength-exsistance to fatigue and resistance to corro-v SlOn- The alloy of the invention was developed by a. series of experiments in which I found that while the aluminum copper alloys had the requisite strength, they were apt to be slivery, diilicult to manufacture, and -were of low electrlcal conductivity. The coppertin alloys while having better electrical-conductivity, either could not be hot rolled or became brittle vwhen the -re uisite strength was obtained by cold wor g. The im proved alloy of the invention has given the desired results while avoiding the diificulties encountered in the alloys previously used.

' It is comprised chiefly of copper, aluminum a high degree and is not easily attacked byand tin.

I have discovered that an alloy of these metals can be easily hot rolled and for ed and cold rolled or col drawn, and that w en cold drawn has big .ductility so that it can be bent without breaking. It can also be extruded and-hot pressed. It is a good conductor'of electricity and highly resistant to corrosion and of high tensile strength. It also has high resistance to fatigue when wrought. It resists atmospheric corrosion to acids and alkalie's. It does not a 0 so as to become brittle and is of relatively ow manufacturing cost. So far asI know, no alloy Application filed January 28, 1926. Serial No. 84,508.

of these metals has ever been put to any practical useand the alloy specifically set orth has never been known or described before my invention thereof.

The chief objects of my invention are to provide a. wrought article composed of an alllpg' having these characteristics.

vide wrought metal articles which'are particularly adapted for electric railway line material and high strength cables, or cable elements, contact trolley wires, telephone or telegraph wires, electric railway line hardware and the like.

The alloy used by. me is composed essentially of copper, tin and aluminum. In its preferred form the proportions are 95.5% copper, 2% tin and2.5% aluminum. Such an alloy has'the advantages and characteristics above referred to and can\ be used for the purposes specified. The proportions can be varied somewhat but when 98.5% copper, 1% tin and 0.5% aluminum are used the tensile strength is materiall when 91% copper, 5% tin and 4% aluminum are used the workability is -materially reduced, and in embodying my invention I do not exceed these limits.

In producing the alloy I bring the copper to a molten condition at pouring temperature and then introduce the tin and later the aluminum, stirring meanwhile so as to' produce a uniform mlxture. In order to attain the best results, high purity metals should sible. In forming the alloy I keep a layer of charcoal on the surface of the molten material. 1

Wire composed of the described alloy is an important embodiment of my invention.

Such wire is made by the usual methods, such as extruding or hot rolling ingots into rods and cold drawing the rods into wire. My wire has a tensile strength of over 100,-

OOOpounds to the square inch but notwithstanding is of high ductility so that it can be bent around a wire of its own diameter without breakin and will withstand other tests usually app -'ed to ductile'material.

reduced, and

invention also has for its obj ect to probe used and the oxides kept as low as 'poswith aluminum in the proportions copper- As will be evident to those skilled in the art, my invention ermitsof various modifications without eparting from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: Q 1. A new wrought metal article composed of an alloy consisting essentially of copper and tin with aluminum, approximately in the proportions copper 95.5%, tin 2%, aluminum 2.5%, thealuminum being in excess of the tin.

2. A cold drawn wire composed of an alloy consisting essentially of copper and .tin

98.5% to 91%, .tin 1% to 5% aluminum of an alloy composed essentially of 98.5% to 91% copper, and 1% to 5% tm, with the'addit'ion of 0.5% to 4% aluminum as a deoxidizing and strengthening agent.

4. A metallic wire'adapted tobe'used in- I dividually or in the construction of cables for use in transmission llnes, messengers,

contact "wires, telephone lines, telegraph lines-guys," cross spans, stays, or. hangers,

said metallic wire being composed essentially of- 98.5% to 91% copper, and 1% to 5% aluminum in approximately the proportions copper 95.5%, tin 2%, aluminum 2.5%, the aluminum being in excess of the tin. In testimony whereof, I have signed m name to this specification this twenty-fift day of January, 1926.

1 WILLIAM H. TBASSETT, in. i 

